October 12, 2022

Federal court orders defunct Michigan company, CEO, president to restore more than $25K to two employee benefit plans

Date of Action:          Oct. 11, 2022

Type of Action:         Employee Retirement Income Security Act consent judgement

Company/Owners:    Paramount Industrial Machining Inc., Maxwell Schwartz, Sheila Rossmann

October 12, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers $17K for eight workers after investigation finds Guam federal subcontractor shortchanged workers’ wages, benefits

DEDEDO, GUAM – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $17,164 in back wages from a federal subcontractor who denied full wages and benefits to eight workers providing pest control services at U.S. Air Force and Navy installations on Guam.

October 12, 2022

Missouri Slope earns ‘Star’ level designation for exemplary workplace safety, health programs at North Dakota’s largest nursing facility

WHO:  Missouri Slope, Bismarck, North Dakota   

WHAT:  Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program Star Level Designation

October 12, 2022

US Department of Labor cites Savannah space remediation company after 32-year-old lead repair technician suffers fatal electrocution

SAVANNAH, GA – A federal workplace safety investigation into how an employee suffered a fatal electrocution while digging a shallow drainage trench under a home has found that a Savannah crawl space remediation company might have prevented the incident by following required safety standards.

October 12, 2022

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. recupera $44,000 en salarios atrasados y daños y perjuicios para 2 trabajadores a quienes un contratista de envíos a domicilio de Jackson les negó las horas extras

JACKSON, MS - El Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. ha recuperado $44,280 en salarios atrasados y daños y perjuicios para dos empleados de un contratista de envíos a domicilio de Jackson quien no les pagaba por el trabajo que realizaban fuera de horario en sus casas.

October 12, 2022

Federal court enters consent order requiring two Boston restaurants to pay $210K in back wages, liquidated damages, penalties after Department of Labor investigation

BOSTON – A federal court has ordered two Boston restaurants to pay $195,680 in back wages and liquidated damages after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the employers willfully failed to pay some employees the minimum wage and overtime compensation the law requires. The department also levied a $14,980 civil money penalty.

October 12, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers $44K in back wages, damages for 2 workers denied overtime by Jackson ground delivery contractor

JACKSON, MS – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $44,280 in back wages and liquidated damages for two employees of a Jackson ground delivery contractor who failed to compensate them for work they did off-the-clock from their homes.

October 11, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers $157K in back wages for 65 workers of North Carolina restaurant that kept their tips illegally

GOLDSBORO, NC – A federal investigation has recovered $157,287 in back wages for 65 workers after finding that a Goldsboro-based restaurant’s pay practices denied the workers their full wages by keeping portions of their earned tips.

October 11, 2022

US Department of Labor hosts annual conference for nation’s mine safety, health trainers at National Mine Health and Safety Academy, Oct. 11-13

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration is hosting the annual Training Resources Applied to Mining conference at the National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beaver, West Virginia, from Oct. 11 to 13.

October 11, 2022

US Department of Labor announces proposed rule on classifying employees, independent contractors; seeks to return to longstanding interpretation

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Oct. 13 to help employers and workers determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

October 11, 2022

Federal court orders Hyundai, Kia auto parts manufacturer to stop employing minors illegally, end ‘oppressive’ child labor law violations

BIRMINGHAM, AL The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order to stop an Alexander City manufacturer of Hyundai and Kia auto parts from employing 13-, 14- and 15-year-old workers illegally, and to prevent the company from shipping or delivering any goods produced in violation of federal child labor laws.

October 7, 2022

US Department of Labor orders ExxonMobil to reinstate terminated employees suspected of leaking information to Wall Street Journal

IRVING, TX The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered ExxonMobil Corp. to immediately reinstate two employees and pay them more than $800,000 in back wages, interest and compensatory damages. A federal whistleblower investigation found the company terminated them illegally after suspecting them of leaking information to the Wall Street Journal.

October 7, 2022

READOUT: Secretary Walsh, immigrant workers, advocates discuss immigrant workers’ protections, rights, barriers faced on the job

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh joined other Department of Labor officials to meet with a group of immigrant workers and worker advocates in Washington on Oct. 6, 2022, to discuss the importance of protecting these workers and strengthening relationships among those committed to their well-being.

October 7, 2022

Statement by US Secretary of Labor Walsh on September Jobs Report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the September 2022 Employment Situation Report:

October 6, 2022

US Department of Labor investigation, litigation secures $278K in back wages, damages for 208 construction workers denied overtime by Suffolk agency

SUFFOLK, VA – A Suffolk construction staffing agency and its owner who intentionally misclassified workers as independent contractors – a serious form of wage theft – must pay $278,073, in back wages and liquidated damages to 208 construction workers following an investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

October 6, 2022

US Department of Labor again cites Appleton roofing contractor for exposing unprotected workers to a deadly industry hazard – falls from elevation

APPLETON, WIBacilio Rios, an Appleton roofing contractor who has shown callous disregard for employees’ safety and scoffed at federal safety requirements since 2009, now faces $301,512 in penalties after a U.S.

October 6, 2022

Ohio contractor continues to defy federal fall protection safety rules, cited for egregious willful violations, faces $1M in fines after workplace inspection

WHEELING, WV – A Millersburg, Ohio, contractor with a long history of disregarding workplace safety standards now faces more than $1 million in penalties after an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found their employees working at dangerous heights without fall protection, this time at a West Virginia work site.

October 6, 2022

US Department of Labor finds Pennsylvania manufacturer prioritized safety, health at one facility, while hazards at New Jersey site led to 21 violations

MILLVILLE, NJ – A Pennsylvania-based metal coatings company that enacted a comprehensive safety and health program to protect workers at its corporate headquarters failed to do the same for employees at a manufacturing facility it opened in the fall of 2021 in Millville, a federal workplace safety investigation has found.

October 6, 2022

US Department of Labor announces final rule to improve H-2A visa program

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule to amend H-2A temporary labor certification regulations to protect agricultural workers better, and to update the H-2A application and temporary labor certification process. The final rule will be published in the Federal Register on Oct. 12, 2022.

October 6, 2022

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending October 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 219,000, an increase of 29,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 3,000 from 193,000 to 190,000. The 4-week moving average was 206,500, an increase of 250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 750 from 207,000 to 206,250.